The Website of The Magazine of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Field

Posted results for novels have been updated to combine votes across centuries -- titles voted for SF or fantasy novel in both 20th and 21st century categories. Votes have been combined in SF categories, and in fantasy categories, and then assigned for ranking to the century where each title got the most initial votes (analogous to the procedure used to compile short fiction votes). There are now 2480 unique novel category/title combinations, reduced from the earlier total of 2569.

Most adjustments made no difference to the top rankings, except in 21st century fantasy novel, where the adjustments made a difference as high as 5th place, since Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows got some votes in the 20th century fantasy novel category. In other categories, there are no changes higher than 49th place in 20th century SF novel, 83rd place in 20th century fantasy novel, and 30th place in 21st century fantasy novel.

Again, I have left votes for books voted in SF vs fantasy categories alone, nor have I adjusted for series votes vs votes for individual novels.

On this home page, I have extended the listings of 20th century novel rankings to 75.

Finally, a correction to the editing of short fiction titles resulted in a novelette by Cory Doctorow moving from 27th to 22nd place, with other ranks adjusted accordingly.

In November 2012 Locus Online hosted a set of polls for the best science fiction and fantasy novels and short fiction of the 20th and 21st (so far) centuries, with five categories in each century: SF novel, fantasy novel, novella, novelette, and short story. For 20th century categories, up to 10 votes in each category were allowed; for 21st century categories, 5 items in each were allowed. Results depend on rank of votes within each category, using algorithms that reward a 1st place vote twice as many points as a 5th or 10th place vote, but not 5 times or 10 times as many.

A total of 625 valid ballots were received, three-quarters of them in the last four days of November. Results for novels were posted on 21 December, below.

Here are results of Locus Online's 20th and 21st centuries polls in short fiction categories -- novella, novelette, and short story. Complete results are posted on the following pages; the first of these includes details about how the votes were compiled.

Corrections made, which moves Gaiman & Pratchett's Good Omens into 8th place for 20th century fantasy novel, and Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself into 13th place for 21st century fantasy novel.

Update 24 December 2012:

A few corrections to the posted results are forthcoming, especially the combining of votes for Good Omens, tallied both as by Pratchett/Gaiman and by Gaiman/Pratchett, which will raise its rank considerably. One or two other fixes will also affect the rankings displayed below. These updates will be posted later this week...

In November 2012 Locus Online hosted a set of polls for the best novels and short fiction of the 20th and 21st centuries, with five categories in each century: SF novel, fantasy novel, novella, novelette, and short story. For 20th century categories, up to 10 votes in each category were allowed; for 21st century categories, 5 items in each were allowed. Results depend on rank of votes within each category, using algorithms that reward a 1st place vote twice as many points as a 5th or 10th place vote, but not 5 times or 10 times as many.

A total of 625 valid ballots were received, three-quarters of them in the last four days of November.

Since all votes were write-in, the task of compiling results was more arduous than it is for the annual Locus Polls. As of today only results in the novel categories have been completed, and are as follows. An * indicates a tie.

20th Century SF Novel:

Rank

Author : Title (Year)

Points

Votes

1

Herbert, Frank : Dune (1965)

3930

256

2

Card, Orson Scott : Ender's Game (1985)

2235

154

3

Asimov, Isaac : The Foundation Trilogy (1953)

2054

143

4

Simmons, Dan : Hyperion (1989)

1843

132

5

Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Left Hand of Darkness (1969)

1750

120

6

Adams, Douglas : The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979)

1639

114

7

Orwell, George : Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)

1493

105

8

Gibson, William : Neuromancer (1984)

1384

100

9

Bester, Alfred : The Stars My Destination (1957)

1311

91

10

Bradbury, Ray : Fahrenheit 451 (1953)

1275

91

11

Heinlein, Robert A. : Stranger in a Strange Land (1961)

1121

75

12

Heinlein, Robert A. : The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966)

1107

76

13

Haldeman, Joe : The Forever War (1974)

1095

83

14

Clarke, Arthur C. : Childhood's End (1953)

987

70

15

Niven, Larry : Ringworld (1970)

955

74

16

Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Dispossessed (1974)

907

62

17

Bradbury, Ray : The Martian Chronicles (1950)

902

63

18

Stephenson, Neal : Snow Crash (1992)

779

60

19

Miller, Walter M. , Jr. : A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959)

776

56

20

Pohl, Frederik : Gateway (1977)

759

58

21

Heinlein, Robert A. : Starship Troopers (1959)

744

53

22

Dick, Philip K. : The Man in the High Castle (1962)

728

54

23

Zelazny, Roger : Lord of Light (1967)

727

50

24

Wolfe, Gene : The Book of the New Sun (1983)

703

43

25

Lem, Stanislaw : Solaris (1970)

638

47

26

Dick, Philip K. : Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968)

632

47

27

Vinge, Vernor : A Fire Upon The Deep (1992)

620

48

28

Clarke, Arthur C. : Rendezvous with Rama (1973)

588

44

29

Huxley, Aldous : Brave New World (1932)

581

42

30

Clarke, Arthur C. : 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

569

39

31

Vonnegut, Kurt : Slaughterhouse-Five (1969)

543

39

32

Strugatsky, Arkady & Boris : Roadside Picnic (1972)

518

36

33

Card, Orson Scott : Speaker for the Dead (1986)

448

31

34

Brunner, John : Stand on Zanzibar (1968)

443

33

35

Robinson, Kim Stanley : Red Mars (1992)

441

35

36

Niven, Larry (& Pournelle, Jerry) : The Mote in God's Eye (1974)

437

32

37

Willis, Connie : Doomsday Book (1992)

433

33

38

Atwood, Margaret : The Handmaid's Tale (1985)

422

32

39

Sturgeon, Theodore : More Than Human (1953)

408

29

40

Simak, Clifford D. : City (1952)

401

28

41

Brin, David : Startide Rising (1983)

393

29

42

Asimov, Isaac : Foundation (1950)

360

24

43

Farmer, Philip Jose : To Your Scattered Bodies Go (1971)

356

25

44

Dick, Philip K. : Ubik (1969)

355

25

45

Vonnegut, Kurt : Cat's Cradle (1963)

318

24

46

Vinge, Vernor : A Deepness in the Sky (1999)

315

22

47

Simak, Clifford D. : Way Station (1963)

308

24

48

Wyndham, John : The Day of the Triffids (1951)

302

24

49

Stephenson, Neal : Cryptonomicon (1999)

300

24

50*

Delany, Samuel R. : Dhalgren (1975)

297

19

50*

Keyes, Daniel : Flowers for Algernon (1966)

297

23

52

Bester, Alfred : The Demolished Man (1953)

291

21

53

Stephenson, Neal : The Diamond Age (1995)

275

21

54

Russell, Mary Doria : The Sparrow (1996)

262

20

55

Dick, Philip K. : A Scanner Darkly (1977)

260

18

56*

Asimov, Isaac : The Caves of Steel (1954)

259

20

56*

Banks, Iain M. : Use of Weapons (1990)

259

19

58

Strugatsky, Arkady & Boris : Hard to Be a God (1964)

258

17

59

Delany, Samuel R. : Nova (1968)

252

19

60

Crichton, Michael : Jurassic Park (1990)

245

19

61

Heinlein, Robert A. : The Door Into Summer (1957)

238

17

62

L'Engle, Madeleine : A Wrinkle in Time (1962)

215

18

63*

Clarke, Arthur C. : The City and the Stars (1956)

210

15

63*

Banks, Iain M. : The Player of Games (1988)

210

15

65

Bujold, Lois McMaster : Memory (1996)

207

15

66

Asimov, Isaac : The End of Eternity (1955)

205

15

67

Stewart, George R. : Earth Abides (1949)

204

14

68*

Heinlein, Robert A. : Double Star (1956)

203

14

68*

Burgess, Anthony : A Clockwork Orange (1962)

203

16

70

Bujold, Lois McMaster : Barrayar (1991)

202

14

71*

Stapledon, Olaf : Last and First Men (1930)

193

14

71*

McHugh, Maureen F. : China Mountain Zhang (1992)

193

16

73

Cherryh, C. J. : Cyteen (1988)

192

14

74

McCaffrey, Anne : Dragonflight (1968)

191

15

75

Heinlein, Robert A. : Citizen of the Galaxy (1957)

188

14

20th Century Fantasy Novel:

Rank

Author : Title (Year)

Points

Votes

1

Tolkien, J. R. R. : The Lord of the Rings (1955)

5675

340

2

Martin, George R. R. : A Game of Thrones (1996)

2200

152

3

Tolkien, J. R. R. : The Hobbit (1937)

2040

138

4

Le Guin, Ursula K. : A Wizard of Earthsea (1968)

1613

113

5

Zelazny, Roger : Nine Princes in Amber (1970)

971

70

6

Mieville, China : Perdido Street Station (2000)

827

64

7

Lewis, C. S. : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)

821

58

8

Gaiman/Pratchett : Good Omens (1990)

701

51

9

Rowling, J. K. : Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)

665

50

10

Crowley, John : Little, Big (1981)

645

41

11

Adams, Richard : Watership Down (1972)

632

46

12

Martin, George R. R. : A Storm of Swords (2000)

626

47

13

Goldman, William : The Princess Bride (1973)

610

47

14

Beagle, Peter S. : The Last Unicorn (1968)

597

45

15

White, T. H. : The Once and Future King (1958)

589

46

16

Kay, Guy Gavriel : Tigana (1990)

522

38

17

Gaiman, Neil : Neverwhere (1996)

509

38

18

Wolfe, Gene : The Book of the New Sun (1983)

494

35

19

Vance, Jack : The Dying Earth (1950)

457

31

20

Bulgakov, Mikhail : The Master and Margarita (1967)

442

29

21

Rowling, J. K. : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)

440

33

22

Tolkien, J. R. R. : The Silmarillion (1977)

433

32

23

Leiber, Fritz : The Swords of Lankhmar (1968)

425

30

24

Jordan, Robert : The Eye of the World (1990)

423

29

25

Rowling, J. K. : Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)

418

34

26

Donaldson, Stephen R. : Lord Foul's Bane (1977)

416

32

27

Bradbury, Ray : Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962)

411

30

28

Peake, Mervyn : Gormenghast (1950)

410

29

29

Powers, Tim : The Anubis Gates (1983)

403

29

30

Martin, George R. R. : A Clash of Kings (1998)

381

26

31

Bradley, Marion Zimmer : The Mists of Avalon (1983)

368

28

32

Hobb, Robin : Assassin's Apprentice (1995)

367

27

33

Pratchett, Terry : The Colour of Magic (1983)

363

28

34

Holdstock, Robert : Mythago Wood (1984)

326

25

35

King, Stephen : The Stand (1978)

316

22

36*

L'Engle, Madeleine : A Wrinkle in Time (1962)

310

23

36*

Pratchett, Terry : Small Gods (1992)

310

23

38

Howard, Robert E. : Conan the Barbarian (1950)

297

21

39

Ende, Michael : The Neverending Story (1983)

291

23

40

Peake, Mervyn : Titus Groan (1946)

287

20

41

McCaffrey, Anne : Dragonflight (1968)

281

22

42

Feist, Raymond E. : Magician (1982)

280

22

43

Orwell : George : Animal Farm (1945)

279

20

44

Silverberg, Robert : Lord Valentine's Castle (1980)

261

20

45

Lovecraft, H. P. : At the Mountains of Madness (1936)

249

20

46

Swanwick, Michael : The Iron Dragon's Daughter (1993)

247

18

47

King, Stephen : The Shining (1977)

238

18

48

Garcia Marquez, Gabriel : One Hundred Years of Solitude (1970)

223

16

49

Saint-Exupery, Antoine de : The Little Prince (1943)

217

16

50

Hughart, Barry : Bridge of Birds (1984)

213

16

51*

Rice, Anne : Interview with the Vampire (1976)

211

18

51*

King, Stephen : It (1986)

211

16

53

Stewart, Mary : The Crystal Cave (1970)

208

14

54

Mirrlees, Hope : Lud-In-The-Mist (1926)

206

15

55

Anthony, Piers : A Spell for Chameleon (1977)

197

16

56

Pullman, Philip : The Amber Spyglass (2000)

194

15

57

McKillip, Patricia A. : The Riddle-Master of Hed (1976)

193

14

58

Jackson, Shirley : The Haunting of Hill House (1959)

190

14

59

Brooks, Terry : The Sword of Shannara (1977)

184

14

60

Heinlein, Robert A. : Glory Road (1963)

182

13

61

Eddison, E. R. : The Worm Ouroboros (1922)

181

12

62

Le Guin, Ursula K. : Tehanu (1990)

175

12

63

Eddings, David : Pawn of Prophecy (1982)

174

14

64

Grimwood, Ken : Replay (1987)

169

11

65

Zelazny, Roger : Lord of Light (1967)

168

11

66

Grahame, Kenneth : The Wind in the Willows (1908)

166

12

67

Anderson, Poul : The Broken Sword (1954)

163

11

68

Kay, Guy Gavriel : The Lions of Al-Rassan (1995)

161

11

69

Barker, Clive : Imagica (1991)

158

10

70

Jones, Dianna Wynne : Howl's Moving Castle (1986)

149

11

71*

Donaldson, Stephen R. : The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant

146

9

71*

Burroughs, Edgar Rice : A Princess of Mars (1917)

146

10

73*

Leiber, Fritz : Our Lady of Darkness (1977)

145

10

73*

Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Earthsea Trilogy

145

10

75

Priest, Christopher : The Prestige (1995)

143

11

21st Century SF Novel:

Rank

Author : Title (Year)

Points

Votes

1

Scalzi, John : Old Man's War (2005)

734

105

2

Stephenson, Neal : Anathem (2008)

432

63

3

Bacigalupi, Paolo : The Windup Girl (2009)

367

58

4

Wilson, Robert Charles : Spin (2005)

305

49

5

Morgan, Richard : Altered Carbon (2002)

256

38

6

Watts, Peter : Blindsight (2006)

251

37

7

Collins, Suzanne : The Hunger Games (2008)

210

33

8

Gibson, William : Pattern Recognition (2003)

197

30

9

Mieville, China : The City & the City (2009)

193

29

10

Stross, Charles : Accelerando (2005)

187

31

11

Mitchell, David : Cloud Atlas (2004)

185

30

12

McDonald, Ian : River of Gods (2004)

181

29

13

Simmons, Dan : Ilium (2003)

155

24

14

McCarthy, Cormac : The Road (2006)

151

23

15

Harrison, M. John : Light (2002)

147

22

16*

Willis, Connie : Black Out/All Clear (2010)

142

20

16*

Chabon, Michael : The Yiddish Policemen's Union (2007)

142

23

18

Niffenegger, Audrey : The Time Traveler's Wife (2003)

137

23

19*

Ishiguro, Kazuo : Never Let Me Go (2005)

125

20

19*

Doctorow, Cory : Little Brother (2008

125

22

21

McDonald, Ian : The Dervish House (2010)

121

21

22

Vinge, Vernor : Rainbows End (2006)

120

21

23

Stephenson, Neal : The Baroque Cycle: The Confusion; The System of the World (2004)

119

19

24

Robinson, Kim Stanley : The Years of Rice and Salt (2002)

115

17

25

Mieville, China : Embassytown (2011)

97

14

21st Century Fantasy Novel:

Rank

Author : Title (Year)

Points

Votes

1

Gaiman, Neil : American Gods (2001)

807

116

2

Clarke, Susanna : Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004)

619

95

3

Rothfuss, Patrick : The Name of the Wind (2007)

422

64

4

Mieville, China : The Scar (2002)

238

34

5

Rowling, J. K. : Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)

223

34

6

Martin, George R. R. : A Feast for Crows (2005)

213

34

7

Bujold, Lois McMaster : The Curse of Chalion (2001)

192

28

8

Mieville, China : The City & the City (2009)

170

28

9

Fforde, Jasper : The Eyre Affair (2001)

160

27

10

Gaiman, Neil : Coraline (2002)

156

25

11

Wolfe, Gene : The Wizard Knight (2004)

153

24

12*

Bujold, Lois McMaster : Paladin of Souls (2003)

150

22

12*

Pratchett, Terry : Going Postal (2004)

150

24

12*

Pratchett, Terry : Night Watch (2002)

150

26

15

Lynch, Scott : The Lies of Locke Lamora (2006)

146

24

16

Abercrombie, Joe : The Blade Itself (2006)

141

24

17

Gaiman, Neil : The Graveyard Book (2008)

136

22

18

Jemisin, N. K. : The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (2010)

124

21

19

Le Guin, Ursula K. : Lavinia (2008)

123

18

20

Sanderson, Brandon : Mistborn (2006)

122

18

21

Rowling, J. K. : Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005)

117

18

22

Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Other Wind (2001)

104

16

23

Gaiman, Neil : Anansi Boys (2005)

92

16

24*

Novik, Naomi : His Majesty's Dragon (2006)

89

16

24*

Kay, Guy Gavriel : Under Heaven (2010)

89

14

As promised in Roundtable blog comments about the poll, complete results, by category/rank and alphabetically by author, are also available. The first link includes details of the compilation process.